Electrical switch



p 6, 1950 E. M. SORENG 2,523,786

ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed Sept. 2, 1947 Edi/52 M 5 TEN/I77 V f mm PatentedSept. 26, 1950 ELECTRICAL SWITCH Edgar M. Soreng, Skokie, Ill., asslgnorto Soreng Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,785

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to animproved push button actuated switch of the double throw type.

It is an object of this invention to provide a doublethrow single poleswitch actuated by a pair of push buttons by means of which either oftwo circuit connections may be readily selected for completion by theswitch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a compact switch of thecharacter described having a positive snap action and at all timesproviding positive visual indication to designate which of two circuitsthe switch is set to close.

Another object of this invention is to provide a switch of the characterdescribed which is extremely compact and good looking and is thusparticularly suitable for installation in household appliances in whichappearance is an important consideration.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of aninexpensive double throw switch of the character described which hasrelatively few parts, and, particularly, very few moving parts, andwhich lends itself especially well to mass production and rapid assemblyby unskilled labor.

With the above and other objects in view,

I which will appear as the description proceeds,

this invention resides in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and moreparticularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed inventionmay be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one com- .plete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the switch of this invention with aportion of one wall of the case cut away;

Figure 2 is an end view of the switch;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a switch of this invention withone wall cut away to show the switch mechanism, portions thereof beingshown cut away; i

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the contactor lever and spring member.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichlike numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 5 designates generally the case of the switch of this inventionwhich has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the base of the Uforming the front wall 6 of the case and the legs of the U forming apair of spaced parallel sides 1 thereof. Extensions 8 of the front ofthe case, having holes 0, form mounting lugs by means of which theswitch may be mounted in any conventional manner.

A flat strip of insulative material Ill provides the rear of the caseand serves as a terminal head to which the fixed terminals ii, l2 and itof the switch are secured. The terminal head strip is preferably madewide enough so that its marginal side edges M will abut the rear edgesit of the side walls of the case, and it may then be secured in positionat the rear of the case by means of lugs I6 extending rearwardly' fromthe side walls, recessed in notches il in the side edges of the terminalhead strip and clinched around the rear or outer surface thereof.

Rivets ii, i2 and I3 of suitable conductive material, such as silver orGerman silver, are accured at equally spaced intervals along thelongitudinal centerline of the terminal head strip. Each of these rivetssecures a suitable wire connector it to the rear surface of the strip;and the center rivet l2 serves to mount on the inner surface of thestrip iii a fulcrum member or standard I9 upon which a contactorlever'35 is pivotally supported at its center for roclring motion aboutan axis normal to the sides,'-'l of the case, while the heads of the endrivets I If and 13', which lie beneath the opposite ends of thecontactor lever, provide the fixed contacts of the switch mechanism perse, andare adapted to be engaged by contacts 36 and 31, respectively, atthe ends of the contactor lever.

Two push buttons 20 and 2|, accessible at the front of the switch case,extend rearwardly into the interior of the case through apertures 22 and23, respectively, in its front wall 6. The push buttons are spaced apartlongitudinally of the case a short distance so as to lie in line withthe opposite ends of the contact lever, and have their axes in a planeparallel to and intermediate the side walls of the case. Preferably theyare formed of plastic and have a hollow interior and a rectangular crosssection so that they present an attractive appearance. Appropriateindicia may be engraved or otherwise delineated on their front faces 24.

The edges of the apertures 22 and 23 cooperate with the sides of theouter portions of the buttons to constrain the buttons to fore and aft,or in and out motion. At the rear of each button its sides have ears orenlargements 25 which coact with the inner surfaces of the side walls ofthe case to limit sidewise play of the rear portion of each button. Arivet-like pintle 26, passing transversely through the inner portion ofeach of the buttons, has its opposite end portions received in slots 21in the side walls of the case and these pintles cooperate with theapertures 22 and 23 in which the outer portions of the buttons arereceived to preclude tilting motion of the buttons in a plane parallelto the side walls 1. One end of each pintle is swedged, as at 28, topreclude axial displacement of the pintle, and a washer 28 provides abearing surface between the swedge and the marginal edge surface of theslot.

Thus, it will be seen that the push buttons are constrained to in andout translating motion on axes parallel to one another and to the sidewalls 1 but normal to the pivot axis of the contactor lever 35. Theextent of in and out motion of the buttons is limited by engagement ofthe pintles 26 with the opposite ends of the slots 2!.

Near the front wall of the case, between the two push buttons, a pivotpin 30 extends from one side wall to the other, parallel to the pintles26 and the pivot axis of the lever 35, and this pin 30 journals across-shaped link member II for oscillating motion in a plane parallelto the sidewalls 1 but midway therebetween. The pivot pin 30 may beformed from a rivet similar to the pintles, and, like them, has itsheadless end swedged to restrain it against axial displacement.

The link member is preferably formed from insulative sheet material,such as fiber or Bakelite impregnated canvas, and serves to coordinatethe motions of the push buttons and to transmit their motion to theswitch mechanism per se. Each of the opposite arms 32 and 22 of the linkmember has a longitudinal slot 55 near its extremity through which oneof the pintles 24 passes.

Slots 34 opening to the inner ends of the push buttons receive theextremities of the arms 32 and 3! so that the inner ends of the buttonsstraddle these arms.

It will thus be seen that the action of the cross shaped link is suchthat when one of the push buttons is moved inwardly the link rocks aboutthe pivot pin 30 to propel the other push button outwardly of the switchcase.

Opposite the axis of the pivot pin III, the link member carries a roller38 which is at all times in engagement with a bowe'd leaf spring ll onthe inner side'of the contactor lever. The roller minimizes frictionbetween the actuator and the spring strip and comprises a pair ofwashers 40 journaled on a small rivet 4! at the base of the actuator, oneither surface of it, to provide a pair of small spaced apart rollerswhich ride upon the spring strip during motion of the actuatortherealong as the actuator rocks about the pivot pin. The roller 38 isso located on the actuator as to be carried slight distances to eitherside of the line passing through the pivot pin 30 and the pivot axis ofthe contactor lever 25 upon rocking motion of the actuator.

The fulcrum member is is a substantially U- shaped metal stamping havinga notch 42 in each of its upper edges in which trunnion lugs 43 on, thecontactor lever 25 are received to mount the contactor lever for rockingmotion about the fulcrum. The rivet l2 passes through aligned holes inthe base of the fulcrum member, the terminal head strip Ill, and a wireconnector it to mount the fulcrum member and the wire connector onopposite faces of the strip and to conduct current from the connector tothe fulcrum.

The contactor lever is stamped from conductive material, such as springbrass or phosphor bronze, in the form of a strip having lugs 43extending laterally from the middle of each of its side edges. Theselugs have an arcuate cross section in the direction of the length of thecontactor lever and are adapted to be received in the notches 42 in thefulcrum member and thus serve as trunnions upon which the contactorlever rocks.

The contacts 26 and 21 are preferably formed of silver or German silverrivets secured through holes at the ends of the lever. It will be seenthat the contactor-lever serves as a connector which completes a circuitbetween the wire connector secured to the fulcrum member and thatsecured to contact II or contact l2, depending upon which end of thecontactor is rocked into engagement with a terminal head contact.

The bowed leaf spring 29 isformed from a strip of light, springymaterial somewhat longer than the contactor lever, and serves to imposeyielding bias between the actuator and the contactor lever. One end 44of the leaf spring is secured fiatwise to an end of the contactor leverby means of the contact rivet 26, while its other end 45 engages theopposite end of the contactor fiatwlse. The medial portion 46 of thespring is bowed to be spaced from the front face of the lever at themedial portion thereof. A slight hump 49 in the medial portion of thespring,

substantially in line with the trunnion axis of the lever, provides adefinite detent action and affords positive snap switch action.

To prevent the spring strip from rotating about the rivet It withrespect to the contactor, a tang 41 at the riveted end 44 of the springstrip engages in a notch-4| in the corresponding end of the contactorstrip. If desired, a second leaf spring 29' may be employed, identicalin every respect with the first, to afford greater bias pressure andconsequently more positive switch action. The bowed shape of the leafspring makes for positive engagement of the switch contacts, since theouter ends of the contactor lever are urged rearwardly by the ends ofthe leaf spring; hence a relatively light strip of metal may be employedfor the contactor lever.

It will be seen that in operating the switch of this invention one ofthe push buttons is depressed (i. e., moved rearwardly or inwardly)depending upon the circuit which it is desired to complete. Assume, forexample, that the button 20 is pushed. The corresponding arm 33 of thelink member is moved rearwardly toward the terminal head I! and theother arm 33' is rocked forwardly toward the front wall 5 of the case asthe link member pivots about the pin 30, thus bringing the other pushbutfion 2| to the forward or out position. At the same time, theactuator roller 38 of the link member is moved along the spring member39 from the left side (Fig. 3) of the rocking axis of the contact leverto the right side thereof, over and across the hump 49 on the spring. Asthe roller 38 passes the line joining the pivot axes of the link memberand the contact, representing dead center of a toggle, the contactorlever will be rapidly swung in a clockwise direction to engage itscontact I! with the stationary contact [3 with a snap action.

A circuit will thus be completed from the wire connector secured torivet I 2' through the fulcrum member, the contactor lever and thecontact 31 to terminal i3, thus connecting contact II in series circuitwith contact 13. visual indication of this circuit connection isprovided at all times by the fact that push button is depressed whilepush button 2| is extended. This condition is depicted in Fig. 3. Itwill be seen that contact 31 is urged into pofltive engagement withrivet N by the free end of the leaf spring 33.

To obtain the other circuit of the switch the push button 2! isdepressed, and the link member arms 33 and 33', rocking about the axisof the pin in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, swing theactuator back across the hump of the spring member to the other side ofthe fulcrum axis, disengaging the contacts 31 and I3 and engagingcontacts 36 and II with a snap action as the lever is rockedcounterclockwise to its other position.

The second of the two possible switch connections available by means ofthe switch of this invention is thus completed, connecting contact l2 inseries circuit with contact H; and this connection is indicated visuallyby the fact that push button 21 is depressed while push button 20 isextended.

It will be readily understood that the length and location of the slots21 in the side walls of the case not only determines the travel range ofthe push buttons but also defines the limits of arcuate motion of theactuator.

It will be noted that assembly of the switch of this invention is.extremely simple. The two push buttons are inserted from the the rear ofthe case through the apertures 22 and 23 in the front wall of the case,and the link member, with the washers riveted in place thereon, is setin place in the slots 34 in the push buttons. The

pivot pin 30 is then passed through the holes in the side walls of thecase and the head of the link member, and its headless end is thereuponswedged. Similarly the pintles 26 are passed through the slots 21 in theside walls of the case, through holes in the rear or inner portion ofthe push buttons, and. through the slots 55 in the arms 33 and 33' ofthe link member, and washers 29 are slipped on their ends which are thenswedged.

The terminal head is assembled by inserting rivets ii and i3 through theend holes in the insulative strip and through the wire connectorsandjnserting rivet 12' through the base of the fulcrum member, thestrip, and a wire connector, and then peening the ends of the threerivets. Rivet contact 31 is secured to the contactor lever and thespring member is secured in place on the lever by means of rivet 36. Thelever is then set in place on the fulcrum and the entire terminal headassembly is placed in position at the rear of the case. Clinching thelugs [6 around the rear of the terminal head strip completes theassembly of' the switch.

From the foregoing description, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily understood that this invention provides adouble throw switch of the character described which will be unusuallysimple, compact and neat in appearance, and which will provide positivesnap action and instant visual indication of the circuit which theswitch is completing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a switch of the character described: a unitary substantiallyU-shaped case, the legs of Positive the U providing a pair of side wallsand the base of the U providing a relatively flat front wall at rightangles to the side walls; a pair of push buttons accessible at the frontof the case and extending rearwardly into the interior of the casethrough apertures in said front wall thereof, said push buttons having asubstantially rectangular cross section and the apertures in the frontwall of the case having a corresponding shape so as to preclude rotationof the buttons in the apertures while guiding the same for movementaxially into and out of the case; a pintle carried by each push buttonat its end inside the case, the opposite ends of each pintle projectingthrough aligning slots in the side walls of the case extending in adirection normal to the plane of said front wall whereby said pintlescooperate with the apertures in said front wall to constrain the buttonsto substantially in and out translating motion; an actuating leverpivotally carried by the side walls of the case for rocking motion on anaxis substantially parallel to the front wall of the case and lyingbetween said push buttons; and means for connecting said lever with thebuttons comprising oppositely extending arms on the lever eachprojecting into a slot in the inner end of the adjacent push button,said arms having slots in their inner ends to receive the pintleswhereby inward motion of one .push button rocks the actuating lever onits axis and effects outward motion of the other push button.

2. In a switch of the character described: a unitary substantiallyU'-shaped case, the legs of the U providing a pair of side wallsparallel and relatively close to one another, and the base of the Uproviding a relatively flat front wall for the case; an actuating leverpivotally carried by said side walls of the case for rocking motioninside the case about an axis intermediate the ends of said side wallsand near the front wall of the case, said lever having opposite amnsextending toward the ends of the case, and each of said arms having aslot in its outer end portion extending lengthwise of the arm; a pair ofpush buttons accessible at the front of the case and extendingrearwardly into the interior of the case through apertures in the frontwall thereof, one at each side of said axis of rocking motlon of theactuating lever, so that the inner end of each button extends toward theslotted extremity of one of the arms of the actuating lever, said pushbuttons having slots in their inner extremities in which the slottedends of the arms of the actuating lever are received; and a pintleextending through the inner end of each push button and through the slotin the adjacent lever arm to pivotally connect each push button with thelever, said pintles extending through aligned slots in the side walls ofthe case extending in a direction normal to the front wall of the casewhereby the pintles and the apertures which receive the push buttonscooperate to constrain the push buttons to substantially straight in andout motion.

3. In a switch of the character described: a case including a front walland a pair of opposite side walls substantially perpendicular to thefront wall and parallel to one another; an actuating lever pivotallycarried by the case for rocking. motion inside the case about an axisinterme-- diate the ends of said side walls and perpendicular to them,said lever having opposite arms extending toward the ends of the case; apair of push buttons accessible at the front of the case and extendingrearwardly into the interior of the case through closely fittingapertures in the front wall thereof whereby the outer portions of thebuttons are guided for axial in and out motion, said buttons also havingslots in their inner portions, parallel to the side walls of the case,in which the lever arms are received to hold the lever centered betweenthe side walls: a connection between each push button and one of thearms on the lever whereby axial inward motion of a push button istranslated into rocking motion of the lever about its axis; andcooperating means carried by the inner portions of said push buttons andthe side walls of the case for guidingly constraining the inner portionsof---the push buttons to axial motion, said means including shoulders oneach side of each push button slidable along portions of said sidewalls.

4. In a switch ofv the character described: a case including a frontwall and a pair of opposite side walls substantially perpendicular tothe front wall and parallel to one another; an actuating lever carriedby the case for rocking motion inside the case about .an axisintermediate the ends of said side walls and perpendicular to them, saidlever having at least one arm extending from its axis toward an end ofthe case; a push button accessible at the front of the case andextending rearwardly into the interior of the case through a, closelyfitting aperture in the 8 front wall thereof whereby the outer portionof the button is guided for axial in and out motion; cooperating meansat the inner end of the button and on the side walls for constrainingthe inner portion of the button to axial in and out motion. said lastnamed means cooperating with the aperture in the front wall of the caseto constrain the entire button to such motion; a motion transmittingconnection between the button and the lever arm whereby axial motion ofthe button is translated into rocking motion of the lever about itsaxis: and cooperating tongue and slot means on the inner .portion of thebutton and on the arm of the lever for constraining the lever arm tomotion in a plane parallel to the side walls of the case and precludingother types of motion.

EDGAR M. BORING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

